Warriors / Thunder Open Thread

The last two Warriors-Thunder meetings have come down to buzzer-beaters. The Warriors’ last two Friday night games also have been decided in the final seconds. With that track record, Friday night’s game should be a fun one. But after Wednesday’s frustrating loss to the Nuggets, the Warriors need to be more than fun.

This game, like the extended road trip following the loss to San Antonio’s b-team, comes at a perfect time for the Warriors to elevate their play. Mark Jackson needs to demonstrate that he can manage in-game strategy decisions and rotations. His job will be easier with Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks beefing up his bench, but he’ll need to figure out the right way to use them. Crawford, in particular, may offer immediate relief if he can play the Jarrett Jack role, allowing Curry more rest and even pairing with Curry so he can play off the ball at times. A fresher Curry should be less mistake-prone and more aggressive penetrating — the opposite of the player that was left struggling on the perimeter and turning over the ball in the fourth quarter on Wednesday.

Big picture, the road to the finals likely goes through Oklahoma City this year. A Warriors win on the Thunder’s home court would send a message about the challenge that may await the Thunder in late April or early May.

Adam Lauridsen

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Like you would know what clear thinking is. You are the biggest fool on this blog. You don’t even watch the games.

knick

How old are you? 67,68? That’s not excessively old. Your brain cells should be fully functional. Can you make an intelligent and mature comment every now and then? I’m sure you can do it fool.

rio kid

Thebeet! He’s a stiff if there ever was one!

El Topo

Chandler was a beast because he played against Biedrins (deadman playing), Ezeli (raw rookie) and Landry (much shorter, smaller). Heck, almost any center in the league would have been a beast against those guys.

Shows how ignorant and biased you are.

El Topo

6 guys! What we needed last night…3 on KD!

rio kid

Yes I agree

rio kid

I did not realize he was only 20.he is a banger

rio kid

Why was bogut not in longer?

SJ Jim

Quite possibly the stupidest thing about NBA basketball is the fact that you’re basically allowed to physically assault another player in the lane and under the basket on a FT attempt. Doesn’t matter if you’re boxing out or being boxed out. You’re allowed to shove somebody from behind, bear hug, push, grab, whatever you want to do. This has never made any sense to me. Once in a blue moon they’ll call a foul for something that’s apparently deemed to be too rough (which is absurd), but generally it’s just a free for all.

What makes it worse is seeing the ridiculous contrast of the ticky tack fouls that are sometimes called during the rest of the game (like in the second quarter last night).

Eric Eiserloh

I pretty much agree with you here, Thurst.

rio kid

Are you guys really talking about a game last year! U have to be kidding…please tell me you guys are kidding….please. Good God man us not so digress!

rio kid

You are kidding. He had 37 pt and 11 assists!

nelliebiggestfan

At some point in time commenters here need to get past their worship for bogut and have a real conversation about his deficiencies. It’s not bogut’s elbow that is causing his FT problems, it’s the pressure, he’s choking. Anyone who has played a sport competitively has felt the pressure rise during the important parts of a game or match. Some can handle that game pressure and some cannot. The physical symptoms of choking can be extremely debilitating. Your blood pressure rises, your mouth dries out and breathing becomes very difficult. A free flowing and confident free throw motion becomes a nervous heave that has no chance of going in You can see that struggle on bogut’s face when he is stepping up to the free throw line. This is why he doesn’t want the ball at crunch time, this is why he is much more comfortable being a part of the offense in the first quarter than in the 4th quarter and why he doesn’t want to set up in the low post and call for the ball. Blaming MJ is way to avoid this topic, I’m sure bry and chris L don’t want to deal with this but it isn’t going away anytime soon.

SJ Jim

There should be a rule that OKC’s opponent is allowed to play 6 guys whenever Durant is on the floor.

(I think I might be serious…)

Bryan Hsiao

Willing and being capable are freaking TWO different things.

Go watch all the rebounds Ibaka and Perkins got when Bogut sat. And come back here with your results.

Another stupid comment by an intellectually deficient poster. The argument was that no matter how good of a defensive effort by a team/player, they will always loose if they can’t score on the other end. That is what makes Bogut worthless. You need to score to win in this league. Green played very good defense, but KD still put up 50. How do you explain that ….dummy

dr_john

First sentence: fair enough, plausible at least. The rest: 100% garbage and a sad personality rape. Your phony umbrage on behalf of your pet theories will reap as you yourself sow.

dr_john

So if Monte Poole says the same thing, you have the same response? Hit replay

knick

Great points. Made the same comments to NCDub earlier. Of course its easy for the cheerleaders to look for stupid excuses but Bogut declared himself healthy prior to the season. He shot above 50% last season but choked massively during the playoffs. That is a sign of mental weakness. He talks and acts tough but crumbles under pressure. Useless if you ask me.

Tired

Wow, you just never get it, do you? OK, I know you are too stupid to get this.

brilliant argument there. Wow.
Duh.

Maybe if you watched the game you would have noticed what hapened. Apparently you didn’t.

Yep, like Bogut did not want the ball so that he drove beyond the FT line twice for a dunk and a layup.(And1).

The whole team missed 15FTs and Bogut missed 5, and heck, Bogut is “choking”

can we have the real TD troll come back to agree with these 2 trolls already?

earl monroe

Time to get a free throw shooting coach on board

El Topo

Great…first you mention last year’s Knick game as an example of Bogut fail. Then when I point out neither Bogut nor Lee played that game, you move the goalpost to last night’s game.
Are you ADD or ADHD in addition to being just plain stupid?
If so, I apologize and suggest you get treatment.

El Topo

Good thoughts.

knick

LOL…Is that your argument now. I didn’t watch the game? Give up dude, jsl and bry got you beat in the dumb and dumber race. No matter how foolish you sound, you’ll always play second fiddle to these two twerps.

nelliebiggestfan

obviously dr. john is another commenter who doesn’t want to have the conversation about bogut’s choking, After throwing me a fake bone of agreement, he writes off my post as “100% garbage”. So what was garbage ? Do athletes not choke ? did I describe the syptoms of choking inaccurately ? Is it really beyond the realm of possibility that bogut FT problem is choking ? I wrote nothing that was a personal attack against bogut, I wrote that some people can handle big pressure and some people can’t , Handling pressure can’t be worked on or practiced, it’s not a question of a players character or work ethic. Who among us bloggers could hit a free throw to win a world championship for our team ? Dr. john wants this to go away, but it won’t. It’s also interesting that commenters here can write post after post criticizing Lee’s work ethic on defense with no response from dr. john but if I discuss bogut’s ability to handle pressure it’s “personality rape” Please stop with the overly dramatic accusations. Those won’t make this go away either.

knick

YES! Especially if he shoots 0/5 FT and becomes detrimental to the teams offense.

dr_john

Unlike you, I have actually watched Bogut shoot free throws in practice and I can tell you he does not make them then, either. I actually posted this last year after a home game vs. Houston.

It’s mechanics. Even Curry is missing shots now—open shots, and ft’s.

But you and Knick just continue on with your blind hatefest.

The only thing that is more reprehensible is hating on injured players. Oh wait, that’s not a factor here, is it?

knick

If this was your attempt at a smart post, you fail miserably you senile old fool. Keith smart pulled Curry aftet every TO, how did that work out? To even look toward a playet after a 37pt 11assist performance is as senile as it gets. I blame your mom for not adequately breastfeeding you . Now we gotto pay for your limited brain functionality.

knick

You fool, refer to me any article in which Bogut claimed his elbow is depriving him og FT’s. Your excuses on behalf of Bogut makes you really stupid.

SurfCity

Dude, you need to get out more.

Bryan Hsiao

I want a coach with a backbone to do what he says and say what he does.

DHoward is averaging 53%FT for the season, 43.8%FT in Jan. averaged 10+FTs a game. Missing 6 a game.

DHoward still plays 35MPG.

Because his coach believes in his other intangibles on the court outweighing those missed FTs.

Our coach doesn’t remember how we won last playoffs regardless Bogut’s FT woes. pulled Bogut after a mere 4 FT attempts this game. Last game, pulled right after Bogut got fouled ONCE.

knick

Ahhh.I don’t know if Bogut is capable of even that. You need skill and incredible accuracy to shoot under hand, that’s why no player tries that. Not only was Barry skilled, he was a very hard worker with an extremely high bball IQ. Can t say the same thing about Bogs.

Peter Moto

this game was a useful reminder that the team’s front office didn’t intend to chase the trophy this season unless unusual conditions presented themselves (e.g.,at least three or four top contenders having injury crises or something equivalent). the manner that the lacobites chose to construct the roster meant that the five starters in which they’d heavily invested would need virtually perfect health. Iguodala is now playing .75 -.90 of his best, depending on the night. the player intended to be their top reserve is obviously a level or two below what the top teams expect from their sixth guy. LA/sterlings have now stabilized, for example, after losing Paul, and their own concern for reserves pushed them into a desperation signing of Turkogulu.

this summer, the fans will be focused on roster improvements, but probably the most important issue is whether the coach gets a contract extension. most teams do not see perfect health for an entire season for every key player. some coaches find ways to prevail, and some don’t have the resources, either in their front office or in their coaching ability.

Deuce Baggins

Couldn’t agree more. They wanted Bogut off the floor for a reason and started the hacking in the 2nd quarter. Let them pile up the fouls and their key reserves are done by the 3rd. the guy isn’t Andris Biedrins, even if he misses them he will try, get pissed, and do what’s best for the team. He’s not fragile emotionally. Leave him in.

Deuce Baggins

Great find by the Thunder FO.

Bryan Hsiao

Monte Poole called out our defense without ABogut.
Monte Poole actually just agreed with us and called both Knick & NBF out.

The defense was bad beyond words. The Thunder exposed just how bad it can be when center Andrew Bogut is off the floor, which was most of the night.

The Warriors have a problem they must solve, and that is summoning at least a modicum of interior defense when Bogut is off the floor. When Lee or Speights is the “big,” opponents see that as an invitation to come into the house and take whatever they want.

sludge

this blog is usually a source of great info, observations and insight.

Sadly, the comments section isfilled with so much personal opposition, mainly because of a poster and his/her handle.

Why fans would come on here to go at each other day after day, I just don’t know.

Hoping for a warriors win, and a place to read about the warriors with fans of the team.

knick

And why was Bogut off the floor most of the night? Was he gonna defend durant too?

knick

Bogut injured? The player himself and the warrior organization declared him 100%.Do you know something they don’t know?
Why will Myers give him a multi year extension if he didn’t think Bogut was healthy.
Your attempt to make excuses for the player is pathetic to say the least.

Bryan Hsiao

Ben Wallace averages 41%FT in his career and he got a championship with Pistons while throwing airballs on the FT line.

Bogut’s elite defense/rebounding is definitely needed and MJack needs to figure out how to keep Bogut in the game without playing into opponent coach’s game plan.

knick

DH is making more than half his FT, Bogut is shooting 36%. Thats a huge difference you fool.

Bryan Hsiao

I quoted his Jan stats. 43.8%.
DHoward is missing 6FTs a game and his coach keeps him in the game.

Who is the fool here?

knick

Actually he’s very fragile emotionally that’s why he shot 23% against the spurs. After last seasons debacle, the least he could have done was to work on his FT’s. He needed to get benched.

sludge

I want to see him in the game for defensive cohesiveness and communication.

No one else on the Warriors intimidates the opposition in the paint, and he covers enough ground in the interior to at least thwart attempts in the paint.

He’s not the entire solution, but I trust his defense more than anyone else the warriors have.